Topic “Exceptional Family TV”

Mind Technologies, Inc. develops software for thought-controlled technologies, allowing the user to interact with the computer and other machines through the power of the mind. The technology involves the use of a wireless headset, developed by our strategic partner, which detects brainwaves on both the conscious and non-conscious level. This revolutionary neural processing technology makes it possible for computers to interact directly with the human brain. The technology of the software opens up a whole new world of access for those with disabilities, especially those with limited control of hands and fingers. The applications allow users to : play their favorite PC games with the power of their mind navigate the computer, click and double click to open programs, compose email and send with the power of their mind “Think-Tac-Toe" game designed to provide cognitive exercise for anyone playing...

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by Cheri Fuller and Louise Tucker Jones The single parent has unique needs and stresses, especially if he or she is the sole caretaker of a disabled child. One of the biggest pitfalls is the tendency to neglect your own needs. As Rosemarie Cook says, "We parents of children with special needs often forget how to take care of ourselves. We may be able to get along fine until some major stress or crisis develops. If we continue to ignore our own needs, we will suffer the consequences, mentally or physically or both It's a natural reaction to want to compensate for the loss in our children's lives, whether that loss is by death or divorce." She suggests several ways to cope and keep balance in your life as a single parent: Find a network of support... READ MORE......

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FOX Sports, Morgantown, VA, May 23, 2011 Chicago Bears rookie linebacker J.T. Thomas became the inspirational story of the lockout-dominated NFL offseason Monday, a few days after escorting a wheelchair-bound teen to her middle school dance. The former West Virginia standout last month met 14-year-old Joslyn Levell, who uses a wheelchair. During that meeting, she told him that all of the boys she had asked to the dance turned her down. Levell, who attends Suncrest Middle School in Morgantown — where the university is located — has spina bifida, a condition that prevents the spinal cord from developing properly. "I hugged her and signed a few things and we talked for awhile and she cried a bit," Thomas told NFL.com about meeting Levell. "I gave her a hug and told her everything would work itself out." Shortly after the meeting, Thomas' stepmother called the school and Levell's parents to make sure it would be OK for her hulking stepson to po...

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By Nicole Ostrow May 23, 2011 6:37 am ET, Washington Post May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Developmental disabilities among American children increased 17 percent in the past decade led by a rise in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a U.S. government study found. The prevalence of the developmental disorders rose to 15 percent of U.S. children, or about 10 million, in 2006-2008, from 12.8 percent, or about 8 million, in 1997-1999, according to the study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research is published in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers said the increase may be due in part to more preterm births and parents having children at older ages. They also said that improvements in screenings, diagnosis and awareness have pushed the numbers higher. About one in six children in the U.S. now have a developmental disability, and that will...

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By PEDRO ARRAIS, Timescolonist.com January 26, 2011 Winning a talent contest doesn't seem like much compared with the other challenges Sky Mundell faces. On Sunday, the 19-year-old pianist beat 84 other Vancouver Island contestants in a charity talent contest. His win is all the more remarkable for the fact that he has cerebral palsy, and is blind and mostly deaf. But while some may view his condition as a hindrance, it may have given Mundell an edge on the competition. "He's blind and can't hear much, but when he gets in front of a piano he rocks," says Maria Manna, the executive producer of the contest Vancouver Island's Got Talent, which was held in the Alix Goolden Hall at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. "The song may be something one has heard over and over, but, perhaps because he is blind, he puts a twist to it that makes it unlike anybody else." Manna compares Mundell's performance with the singer Susan Boyle, who stunned audiences in a talent show on British television. "He simply delights you with his pl...

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posted by: Sara Gandy, Ben McKee BROOMFIELD - Legacy High School seems like the perfect fit for Molly Perriman, seeing as she has already written her own legacy. It is not a selfish thing; instead Molly's legacy is all about changing the lives of others through meaningful relationships. Oddly enough, it all started while she was organizing something that, in retrospect, seems a bit superficial: homecoming court. "I was sitting at a table working on nominations, and a kid with special needs walked by. I called him and said, 'Hey, do you want to nominate someone?'" said Molly, one of the 2010 9Kids Who Care. "They were so excited to get a chance to nominate someone for homecoming royalty, I wanted to do more." Molly created BRIDGES (Building Relationships in Different Groups), which integrates mainstreamed students with special needs students at Legacy High School. "I love them so much. It cheers me up and puts me in a good mood every Tuesday morning. Everyone leaves in a good mood on Tuesdays," Molly said. Molly also created the Legacy Royalty Guard, which highlights spe...

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